[clue-tech] using screen as init

[Keith Hellman]

On Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 10:49:21AM -0700, David L. Anselmi wrote:
> Jim Ockers wrote:
> >Hi CLUEbies,
> >
> >What do you think about using screen as the kernel's init process, so
> >that everything (including the real init) runs in a pseudo-tty inside
> >the screen session?  Then one could log in via telnet or ssh or whatever
> >and use screen -R to hook into the screen session and see what's going
> >on on the console.
> 
> Well, when a process is orphaned init inherits it.  I think that means 
> PID 1.  So maybe screen doesn't know how to handle those and you get 
> lots of zombies or other wierdness.
> 
> If you have respawn lines in your inittab they may not work.  Changing 
> run levels may not work either.
> 
> And of course hooking into screen depends on a child ssh/telnet running. 
>  So if the child stuff hangs up you won't be able to get in to see the 
> screen.  Not that you care in this case.
> 
I agree with Dave.  I've dug into the busybox init process code before,
and have even written my own, very bare bones, init process.  The
programming is non-trivial, and I think screen would not make very good
init process.

Just off the top of my head, what about setting up init to use a serial
console, then wire that back (a null-modem cable jumps to mind, but
perhaps some serial interface mimicking software could do the same) to
the machine.  Then ssh into the box and run minicom as a dumb terminal
against the serial device...  Just a thought.

-- 
Keith Hellman                             #include <disclaimer.h>
khellman at mcprogramming.com                from disclaimer import standard
public key @ pgp.mit.edu B5354B76

"Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong
impulse to see it tried on him personally."

-- Abraham Lincoln
   http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/Lincoln,+Abraham
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
Url : http://cluedenver.org/pipermail/clue-tech/attachments/20061110/2de6fb68/attachment-0001.bin